Sometimes it’s best to withdraw oneself from the compulsions and manipulations of this power-hungry society in order to fight the demons of boredom, frustration and depression. In a world in which money, power and success are the measures of self-esteem, how else can we peel away these layers of self-deception, to reclaim our true self and find the purpose God gave our life? Failure to understand this, is a failure to give meaning to our very existence. Our secular society is most proficient at imprisoning us in its compulsions, with devious siren calls, like: “You ought to do this – you must do that!” Before we know it, we have constructed our false-self around marketing impulses so conniving, that in New Delhi’s slums the hottest product is a whitening cream – a cream that promises men and women a pearly complexion! We should never think we are smarter than others, and could never be so easily manipulated.
It is these compulsions that construct a false-self, dependent on the approval of society, as we rejoice in other people’s praise and suffer with their criticism. What is needed is a speculative displacement, an ideological movement away from the ordinary to rediscover the true self. Seventeen centuries ago, the Desert Fathers were sickened by city decadence, which they viewed as compromising the line between God and Mammon. The line was blurred. Their response was to turn radically away from what was considered the height of progress to regain a balance in life. One monk went around for 3 years with a pebble in his mouth, until he learnt to be silent and stopped measuring himself against others. How often do we compare ourselves to neighbours, as a benchmark of social value? Two monks tried to quarrel. They placed a brick between them and kept saying: “This is mine!” Then one said: “Indeed it is yours, so take it away with you!” And they went away as friends, unable to fight.
These sages realized that seeking one’s spiritual potential is a struggle at first, but after a while there is indescribable joy. It is just like building a fire: at first it’s smoky and our eyes water, but later you get the desired results and in the light of the divine fire the tears are worth it. About putting others first, one said: "Help your brother complete his work as he requires. If he needs handles for his baskets to sell them, take them off yours and give them to him." About unselfishness, another said: "I never wanted work that was profitable to me, but loss to my brother. For I have this expectation, that what helps my brother is fruitful for me too." Another sage helped robbers load his own mule with his belongings, knowing he brought nothing into this world and could take nothing away with him. Later he counseled his outraged friends who sought justice with: "When you want to take revenge first say the prayer: Oh God, we no longer need you to take care of us, since we now avenge ourselves."
